The Kirkwood Community College Eagles are known for dominant play on the playing field, but what does it take to unlock that strong play? The unsurprising answer is practice, and lots of it.
Every athlete at Kirkwood had to work hard to get to where they are. They’ve spent hours on the field, on the court or in the weight room to get their bodies ready for this level of play.
One of the best times to improve on their games comes in the offseason.
Landon Frost, outfielder, starts his offseason by taking a week off to rest his mind and his body, a common practice among athletes after a long season.
Throughout the summer, Frost works on his swing with his dad three to four times a week, using different drills based on what he feels needs work.
He complements this by hitting the weight room three times a week and playing catch with his brother or his friends, focusing on fly balls while mixing in the occasional grounder to work on his footwork.
Breckin De La Rosa, infielder, has a similar approach to her offseason. “We take two days out of the week to focus on hitting and then the other days we work on everything,” she said.
According to De La Rosa, she does several drills to improve her bat speed. She also has other drills designed to keep her movements smooth when she fields a ball on defense.
Libby Trewin approaches her offseason a little differently than Frost or De La Rosa, “As a pitcher, my preparation is a lot more focused on the mental and strategic side of the game,” she said. “I spend time studying hitters, working on pitch sequencing and making sure my mechanics are consistent.
“Physically, it’s also about managing my arm, like getting the right rest between outings. Position players are preparing every day to be ready on both offense and defense, while pitchers are really dialing in for specific appearances.”
Trewin spends her offseason focusing on improving her control, velocity and accuracy by getting in the bullpen, long tosses and specified grip and spin drills.
She also spends time in the weight room to add more power behind her pitches.
All three athletes say they ramp up their training as the season gets closer, whether that’s adding to the pitch count for Trewin or adding sprints to the routine in Frost’s case.
Categories: Sports
